As is known, today many retailers offer personalized gift registries so that a shopper can compile a list of items he or she wishes to receive, and friends and family can select gifts from among the listed items. For example, an expectant mother may register at a retailer that specializes in baby care products and infant products in general. People invited to the “baby shower” or a similar event can then consult the registry maintained by the retailer prior to purchasing gifts. However, because the personalized gift registry includes only those items that are being offered by the retailer, the mother's choice of items is necessarily limited. On the other hand, registering at multiple retailers to set up several gift registries is likely to create confusion and logistical difficulties.
Further, expectant mothers as well as parents of infants often engage in repeated purchases of the same or similar baby care products (for example, diapers or other non-durable goods) during a relatively long period of time, and in that respect one-time gifts selected via a gift registry do not fully address the parent's needs. The difficulty in predicting the exact amount and the type of baby care products (for example, diaper size) that will be needed at each stage of growth of the baby makes such products a generally unlikely choice for a one-time gift. Meanwhile, as is known, diaper purchases and similar recurring expenses account for a large percentage of the total expenses associated with raising a baby.
In the recent years, it has been known to offer products, including baby care products, online in addition to (or instead of) physical stores. Customers also expand their product awareness through online shopping, and generally do not limit their purchases to a single retailer or provider. However, many still prefer an in-person shopping experience with respect to at least some products, and some prefer a “mixed” experience where some products are purchased online, other products are purchased in person, and yet other products are selected in person and subsequently purchased online. Yet in-person shopping experience in general, and purchasing of baby care products in particular, has not been seamlessly integrated with online shopping.